A grass fire linked to an encampment for the homeless broke out early Sunday morning in an area of San Rafael burned by similar fires recently.

The fire was reported at about 1 a.m. in the grassy area near Kerner Boulevard and Shoreline Parkway, about a mile southeast of the San Rafael Canal. Firefighters contained it to about a quarter acre, and no injuries were reported.

The fire occurred in the same area as two other brush fires on Thursday, also linked to encampments, and about a dozen more fires over the past year. San Rafael fire Chief Christopher Gray said the fires have been in the tall pampas grass, which provides cover for people but is also a fire threat.

"Police and security forces hired by the property owner are following up to remove the encampments that seem to pop up daily," Gray said. "A planning effort is also underway to conduct a controlled burn in the area that is overgrown with the invasive pampas grass."